diff --git a/support/support.h b/support/support.h
index c219e0d9d1..837a806531 100644
--- a/support/support.h
+++ b/support/support.h
@@ -152,6 +152,18 @@ static __inline bool support_path_support_time64 (const char *path)
 					    0x80000002ULL);
 }
 
+/* Return true if the setitimer and getitimer syscalls support 64-bit time_t
+   values without resulting in overflow.  This is not true on some linux systems
+   which have 64-bit time_t due to legacy kernel API's.  */
+static __inline bool support_itimer_support_time64 (void)
+{
+#ifdef __KERNEL_OLD_TIMEVAL_MATCHES_TIMEVAL64
+  return __KERNEL_OLD_TIMEVAL_MATCHES_TIMEVAL64;
+#else
+  return sizeof (__time_t) == 8;
+#endif
+}
+
 /* Return true if stat supports nanoseconds resolution.  PATH is used
    for tests and its ctime may change.  */
 extern bool support_stat_nanoseconds (const char *path);
diff --git a/time/tst-itimer.c b/time/tst-itimer.c
index bd7d7afe83..c6d623cb19 100644
--- a/time/tst-itimer.c
+++ b/time/tst-itimer.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include <support/check.h>
+#include <support/support.h>
 #include <support/xsignal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <time.h>
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ do_test (void)
 
       /* Linux does not provide 64 bit time_t support for getitimer and
 	 setitimer on architectures with 32 bit time_t support.  */
-      if (__KERNEL_OLD_TIMEVAL_MATCHES_TIMEVAL64)
+      if (support_itimer_support_time64())
 	{
 	  TEST_COMPARE (setitimer (timers[i], &it, NULL), 0);
 	  TEST_COMPARE (setitimer (timers[i], &(struct itimerval) { 0 },
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ do_test (void)
       it.it_interval.tv_usec = 20;
       it.it_value.tv_sec = 30;
       it.it_value.tv_usec = 40;
-      if (__KERNEL_OLD_TIMEVAL_MATCHES_TIMEVAL64)
+      if (support_itimer_support_time64())
 	{
 	  TEST_COMPARE (setitimer (timers[i], &it, NULL), 0);